NRA opposes nominee

The National Rifle Association of America strongly opposes President Obama's nomination of Andrew Traver as director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE).

Traver has been deeply aligned with gun control advocates and anti-gun activities. This makes him the wrong choice to lead an enforcement agency that has almost exclusive oversight and control over the firearms industry, its retailers and consumers.

Further, an important nomination such as BATFE director should not be made as a "recess appointment," in order to circumvent consent by the American people through their duly-elected U.S. Senators.

Traver served as an advisor to the International Association for Chiefs of Police's (IACP) "Gun Violence Reduction Project," a "partnership" with the Joyce Foundation. Both IACP and the Joyce Foundation are names synonymous with promoting a variety of gun control schemes at the federal and state levels. Most of the individuals involved in this project were prominent gun control activists and lobbyists.

The IACP report, generated with Traver's help, called on Congress to ban thousands of commonly owned firearms by misrepresenting them as "assault weapons," as well as calling for bans on .50 caliber rifles and widely used types of ammunition. The report also suggests that Congress should regulate gun shows out of existence and should repeal the privacy protections of the Tiahrt Amendment -- all efforts strongly opposed by the NRA and its members.

Traver also participated in an extremely deceptive NBC Chicago report in which he referred to "the growing frequency of gang members and drug dealers using heavy caliber military-type weapons" and described them as if they were machine guns: "Pull the trigger and you can mow people down."

Traver and his agents provided the reporter with a fully automatic AK-47, with which she was unable to hit the target. He then said that stray bullets are "one of the main problems with having stuff like this available to the gangs."

As the Agent-in-Charge of Chicago's BATFE office, Traver knows that fully automatic firearms are not available through normal retail channels -- the opposite of what was implied in the report.

An agency involved in the regulation of a fundamental, individual right guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution should not be led by an individual with a demonstrated hostility to that freedom. For that reason, the NRA strongly opposes Andrew Traver to head the BATFE and urges President Obama to withdraw this ill-advised nomination.

By: Chris W. Cox, NRA

Portland to Ask Legislature for Right to Enact Stricter Gun Laws

In Maine, guns are banned in schools, courthouses and jails. But the Portland City Council contends that firearms should also be banned in other public spaces that attract large crowds, such as City Hall or the Portland Expo. On Monday, the council passed a resolution asking the state Legislature to give municipalities the right to enact stricter gun controls.

Councilor Dory Waxman questioned the measure's chances in a State House controlled by Republicans, but voted with the majority any way. "I think this is a noble and a good thing to do for Portland. It's all about us taking care of people in Portland," she said.

Supporters of the resolution have long thought Maine's gun laws too liberal. Unconcealed weapons in Maine don't require permits. And they say the permits and background checks required for concealed weapons are too lax.

"Certainly there's a long way to go to stop illegal gun trafficking and dangerous people from getting dangerous guns," says Brian Malte, who is with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. The group calls Maine's gun laws weak, giving it a score of "11" out of a possible "100."

Maine, like the vast majority of states, doesn't allow municipalities to make stricter gun laws. Malte says that's ridiculous. "Local governments have home rule over many things, and there are all kinds of different laws and ordinances from town to town and city to city, and local municipalities should be able to enact laws on firearms that they feel are best suited to protect their citizenry."

But the National Rifle Association says that would create a crazy-quilt of gun laws that would be impossible for gunowners to follow. NRA spokeswoman Rachel Parsons says the country shouldn't be expanding the number of places where firearms are banned.

"We've seen that gun-free zones have been the place of crime over and over again in many instances all across the country, and people should be able to carry lawfully in these places for self-defense," Parsons says.

Gunowners such as Forrest Brown of Wiscassett, who testifed at the City Council meeting, say letting Portland tighten gun laws only penalizes law-abiding firearm carriers and does nothing to stop those with murderous intent.

"The overwhelming majority of firearm homicides were perpetrated by the same people who will flagrantly ignore any invisible boundary enacted by this proposed measure," Brown said.

Maine used to allow local gun control until it changed the law in 1989. Municipalities were left with only the power to decide where firearms can be discharged within their boundaries--in the case of target practice, for example.

The question for Portland is whether any legislator will want to introduce a bill to roll back the law. "Oh, I'm betting there will be some who will be willing to sponsor it, yes. Will not be me," says State Rep. Anne Haskell, a Democrat from Portland who co-chairs the Legislature's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee.

Haskell agrees with the NRA argument that local gun laws would be too confusing for gun owners. "How do you know which one of the buildings is under consideration, which one of the towns, which one of the town offices? Is it not OK to bring it into the city of Portland, into City Hall, but it might be all right to take it into the Town Hall in Bridgton when you go in to pick up your hunting license," she says.

Gun owners at the Portland Council meeting say they will keep an eye on any gun legislation that surfaces. But given the new, more conservative make-up of the Legislature and the governor's office, they're not too worried about the measure making it very far.

By: Josie Huang, WPBN

TX: Rep. David Simpson takes lead on campus carry legislation

Newly elected state Rep. David Simpson (R-Longview) was the 11th lawmaker in line at the Texas Capitol last week hustling to pre-file legislation before the January session. One of Simpson’s bills — which he says is aimed at protecting human life — would allow concealed handgun license holders to carry weapons on college campuses, a perennial source of contention among student groups, faculty, gun advocates and legislators.

“The first duty of government is to protect human life,” said Simpson about House Bill 86. “Students and teachers should not to have make a choice between education and self-defense.”

Simpson, who said he prefers his bill to be called the “personal protection on campus act,” also filed a bill that would prohibit tax payer revenue from funding government- sponsored abortions, a measure that he said also falls under his legislative priority to protect life. A longtime member of the National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America and the Texas State Rifle Association, Simpson plans on including an amendment to his concealed carry bill that would allow private universities and colleges to opt out of the measure. Yet, schools that wish to do so would “lose immunity” from legal repercussions of campus violence, Simpson cautioned.

Simpson said he’s being guided by state Rep. Joe Driver (R-Garland), who proposed similar legislation last year. Co-sponsored by Sen. Jeff Wentworth, the 2009 version of the campus carry bill passed the Senate by a 20-11 vote with 75 co-authors but eventually died before reaching the House floor due to Democrats’ filibustering over controversial voter photo ID legislation.

Simpson is confident that his campus carry bill will gain more traction this time around in the heavily GOP House.

“Hopefully there will be a majority who want people to protect lives,” he said. “I think the conservative leadership in the house will want to see this bill pushed.”

John Woods, a leading voice of student opposition to concealed carry on campus in Texas, isn’t so sure a Republican majority will make the difference some may expect. Last session the bill saw sponsorship from both sides of the political spectrum.

“The mid-term election results have made us change our strategy a bit,” said Woods. “But the legislative shift may not hurt as much as one would think. Just as many people who supported the bill lost their seats or did not return. And some that were sponsoring it weren’t even aware many students didn’t want it passed.”

A University of Texas at Austin graduate student, Woods is the statewide director of Texas for Gun-Free School. Woods attended Virginia Tech during the 2007 shooting that killed 32 students, including his girlfriend.

Wood said the organization is ramping up efforts to meet with lawmakers and key education figures to let them know how students feel about the issue. Last year, the group gained attention for staging a rally against the bill on the Capitol steps. It’s an uphill battle, said Woods, but it is one that is backed by dozens of Texas universities including UT.

On the other end, campus carry advocates are “cautiously optimistic” about the proposed legislation. Daniel Crocker, the Southwest director of national organization Students for Concealed Carry on Campus agreed the issue was highly bipartisan, and some Democrats who coauthored the bill will not make a return this session.

Crocker, a Texas A&M student, is adamant about concealed carry’s safety advantages and debunks what he describes are unrealistic impressions of the possible law’s negative affect on the behavior of professors and the student body.

“Iraq veterans held rifles in Fallujah but can’t hold a Glock in geometry class?” said Crocker. “Students are left with nothing but a cell phone and a prayer should their life be threatened.”

Currently, Utah and Colorado (where litigation is pending) are the only states in the country that allow guns on college campuses. That amounts to 77 schools, or 2 percent of all collegiate institutions.

Simpson’s argument for guns mirrors that of Crocker and many proponents, who claim it is a necessary preventative measure impeded on by the government. The recent shooting on the UT campus has not deterred Simpson and other supporters; conversely, it has only served to strengthen their argument.

“If the disarmed soldiers at Ft. Hood were allowed to carry their weapons the massacre would have been instantly stopped,” he said. “In many cases, victims don’t have the means to defend themselves. Why should government take the right of self-defense away?”

The freshman lawmaker said he is also considering reintroducing the Firearms Freedom Act, a way for in-state gun manufacturers to avoid federally mandated limitations on sale or use of firearms. Five states including Tennessee and Arizona have signed on the act, which is seen as an enforcement of the 10th Amendment regarding state sovereignty.

Bolstered by the tea party during his campaign, Simpson said he identifies with the movement and shares many of tits values, including a push for “individual rights.” The representative-elect is opposed to the health care reform bill and hopes to see the Health Freedom Act pass.

By Mary Tuma, The American Independent

NRA meeting will put Nashville in big league

2015 convention could bring 50,000 visitors, $25 million

Landing the National Rifle Association's May 2015 convention, a mega-gathering known for bringing big political names, big guns and big bucks to host cities, could help push Nashville further into the limelight as a go-to convention city, tourism officials say.

"Having the NRA (in) Nashville is fabulous," said John Harris, a Nashville lawyer who is founder and executive director of the Tennessee Firearms Association. "They bring a lot of people and will bring a lot of attention."

On Thursday, Mayor Karl Dean announced that Nashville has landed the high-profile convention that's expected to attract at least 50,000 visitors and perhaps spark as much as $25 million in spending over three days.

The event is still a few years off, but tourism officials hope the NRA's decision to hold its 144th annual convention here pays dividends by attracting other major groups to take a longer look at Music City.

"We're coming out of a difficult economy and the flood and now there's pent-up demand for the hospitality industry," said Tom Negri, general manager of the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel.

"Having that large of a group means so much for the city. And association business like this tends to follows one another."

"We've earned this," said Butch Spyridon, president of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau, which courted the NRA for two years to land the 2015 event.

NRA convention-goers will meet at the still-under-construction Music City Center, Nashville's new convention hall being built south of Broadway. It's due to open two years before the NRA meeting dates arrive.

The city is still negotiating with the NRA to be among four or five cities that could rotate as hosts of the politically charged group's annual meetings for several years.

The NRA has announced that its 2011, 2012 and 2013 annual meetings will be held in Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Houston, respectively. The group met in Charlotte, N.C., this year and in Phoenix in 2009.

By: Anita Wadhwani and Chambers Williams, The Tennessean

Firearm review revives gun debate

Gun Control advocates are opposing any attempt to change Tasmania's firearm laws.

The state government is reviewing the 1996 Firearms Act, which was introduced after the Port Arthur massacre.

The proposed amendments include removing the limit on the number of firearms for collectors and downgrading the classification of pump action shotguns.

Roland Browne from the Gun Control Coalition says it would be ludicrous to give pump action shotguns the status of a standard .22 rifle.

"I can't see any good reason for this. It's like pushing alcohol and tobacco on kids," he said.

The discussion paper also proposes lowering the age limit for recreational shooters to 12.

"This proposal gets flagged every couple of years and it needs to be put to bed forever," said Mr Browne. "It's a bad proposal, we shouldn't be having kids with guns."

Rob Blake from the Field and Game Association says the age change would be good for country children.

"They're allowed at 12 in the club situation, I don't see any difference between that and in the bush."

Public comment is being taken until December 23.

By: ABC News

Portland Council holds hearing on Mayor Sam Adam's proposed gun control laws

Mayor Sam Adams presents to council proposed new gun control ordinances aimed at reducing gang violence.

Supporters of Portland Mayor Sam Adam's proposed gun control laws Thursday called them a needed tool for law enforcement to crack down on gang-related shootings, while critics voiced concerns about their constitutionality, and potential for unfairly targeting young blacks.

Three proposed ordinances would hold adults responsible if their gun gets into a child's hands, penalize gun owners who don't report the theft or loss of a firearm, and designate shooting hot spots and allow the city to exclude certain gun offenders from them.

Two other code changes would set a 7 p.m. curfew for juveniles who have been convicted of a gun offense such as possessing or illegally using a firearm, and would enact a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 days in jail for a gun offender found carrying a loaded gun in a public place, including a vehicle or on transit.

The council, where the mayor appears to have majority support, will vote on the measures Dec. 1.

Portland police said gang violence response team call-outs are up 20 percent this year, with 80 recorded so far, compared to a total of 68 in each of the last two calendar years.

Police Chief Mike Reese called it "disheartening" to see gang violence increase after the community made significant strides to curb the daily drive-by shootings that he confronted as a patrol officer in the mid- to late-1980s. Gang Enforcement Team Lt. Dave Hendrie said the stiffer juvenile curfew ordinance, which would affect 20 to 30 youth on probation for gun offenses, and the proposed illegal firearms exclusion zones would allow officers to remove people with a violent past from potentially hostile situations.

Multnomah County gang prosecutor Pat Callahan, County Commissioner Judy Shiprack, state Sen. Ginny Burdick, and Ceasefire Oregon officials spoke in favor of the laws.

"It is time to hold gun owners responsible for keeping their guns away from children, said Elise Gautier, who sits on Ceasefire Oregon's board of directors."How many other young men and children are going to be shot to death before we say this has got to stop?"

Yet gun rights advocates questioned their constitutionality. Ross Eliot, editor and publisher of American Gun Culture Report, said the city is ignoring more serious issues when crime has dipped to the lowest level in decades.

Members of the African American community, civil rights advocates and other community members voiced concerns that curfews and hot spot exclusion zones would unfairly target young blacks and simply shift the problems to other parts of the city.

Some argued that the proposals don't address the root causes of the violence, such as a lack of jobs, schooling and social support services for those with fractured families who turn to violence.

Terresa Raiford, whose nephew Andre Payton was fatally shot Sept. 26 in a gang shootout in Old Town, said the proposals failed to go after gun traffickers and won't keep gang members from getting guns outside of the city limits. Garvin Franklin Jr., a former Crip gang member who is working with other former gang members as part of a group called Brothers Reaching Out, or BRO, said he fears that the ordinances will penalize young black males.

"Young people who are not involved in gangs will be targeted," Franklin said.

Adams responded, saying the city is precluded from regulating the sale of guns. He said he has deep concerns about racial profiling, and that's why he will have an oversight committee monitor police action and report to council every six months.

Kevin Starrett, executive director of Oregon Firearms Federation, has argued that the measures violate a state law enacted in 1995 that says cities can't have ordinances to regulate or prohibit the sale, ownership or other uses of firearms or components such as ammunition.

But Dave Woboril, deputy city attorney, told the council that the state's pre-emption law doesn't restrict the city's measures. He argued that the mayor's proposals don't regulate storage or ownership.

"It is not the universe of everything that has to do with firearms," Woboril said, of the state's pre-emption law.

The ACLU of Oregon, in a letter to the mayor, argued that any exclusions as a condition of someone's probation or parole should be handled by the courts not the city or police. This way, the person facing the exclusion would be represented by an attorney.

By: Maxine Bernstein, Oregon Live